“To expel observers from the polling stations will be only by court order”

“To expel observers from the polling stations will be only by court order”

29.02.2016

Vladimir Putin approved a new legislative measure, according to which to remove an observer from a polling station will be possible only by court order. Experts notice that thus the head of state increases the openness and competitiveness of elections. In addition, it will help fight unscrupulous political strategists whose actions sometimes become the “pure criminality”.

Vladimir Putin supported the proposal of the CEC and the presidential administration to amend current legislation on the work of observers at elections at all levels. Now to expel observers from the polling stations will be possible only by court order.

“Russian electoral legislation to date is one of the most advanced in Europe and, moreover, is constantly improving”

Recall, to evaluate the practical work of election observers and, if necessary, to prepare amendments to the legislation Vladimir Putin ordered the government together with the CEC in 2015 following the meeting of the HRC. Then human rights activists said cases of an arbitrariness of election commissions to observers, the removal of which was sometimes caused by “either irritability or suspiciousness of Chairpersons of commissions, and maybe their political position”. Responsible for carrying were appointed by the first Deputy head of the presidential administration Vyacheslav Volodin and the head of the CEC Vladimir Churov.

Commenting on the amendments, the head of the Commission of the presidential Council on civil society development and human rights (SPCH) the electoral rights Ilya shablinsky said that they will not affect representatives of the media, which will still be able to withdraw from the area if the Commission decides that they are out of order.

Member of the HRC, in General, positively evaluated the innovation, which will expand and consolidate the rights of observers. And clarified that the amendments may limit the number of observers in the area from one candidate or party. “There should be no more than two,” he explained.

We will note, according to the CEC, in 2012 the number of observers increased from 44 thousand to 108,355 thousand people. “It certainly speaks about the openness of the electoral process. The limitation to two people from one party or candidate on a plot directed at the orderliness of the electoral process and, thus, serves the interests of the observers themselves. Parties and candidates may require a few days to report on areas of these observers,” he added shablinsky.

Member of the HRC also noted that amendments may be made to the law “On basic guarantees of electoral rights” before the election campaign to the state Duma. The law “On elections of deputies of the state Duma” already prohibits the removal of observers without relevant court decision.